Dredge-spud brace.



A. B. CLARDY.

DREDGE SPUD BRACE. APPLICATION man JULY 31.

' Patented June 27,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lmomvers Patnted June 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IHP AV 2 A. fidiaray A 1701mm THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0-, WASHINGTON. b. c.

ALBERT BASIL GLARDY, 0F BALBOA, CANAL ZONE.

DREDGE-SPUD BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed July 31, 1915. Serial No. 42,975.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT B. CLARDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Balboa, Canal Zone, have invented a new and Improved Dredge-Spud Brace, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to dredging apparatus and has particular reference to means for temporarily holding the dredge stationary while in operation.

More definitely stated, my improvement is designed to provide a means for so bracing the spud commonly used on dredges as to prevent the damage thereto and to the dredge body or hull incident to the tendency of the dredge body to recede under the force applied to the dipper. ,Spuds as they are commonly used today pass through openings or spud wells usually adjacent the front corners and slightly inboard. As a rule the spud well is a very loose fit with respect to the spud, and in the act of drawing the dipper has a tendency to push the dredge body backward. By reason of the looseness in the spud well the spud not only has to overcome the backward thrust of the body, but also the momentum of the weight of the entire dredge resulting in a very great deal of expense for repairs.

By my improvement I attach a bracing means to the spud near its lower end, such bracing means being. extended upwardly and rearwardly where it is adjustably connected at some convenient point to the side of the dredge body, provision being made to permit the fastening means to accommodate itself to variations in position of the spud in practice.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the manner of applying my invention to a conventional form of dipper dredge; Fig. 2 is a side view of the main part of the improvement; Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same, partly in section, on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line l-l of Fig. 1.

. The numeral 10 indicates a spud extending downwardly at or through the corner of a dredge body 11 in any usual or preferred manner. VVhereasthe spud ordinarily is supported for engagement with the dredge body to resist the movements of the body by contact only at the upper and lower corners of the body, in my lmprovement I apply a bracing means shown herein as a rod 12 pivotally connected at 13 to a bracket 14 as low along the spud as will be permitted by the normal operation of the spud. The member 12 typifies any suitable bracing means leading from the bracket or point of connection 18 upwardly and rearwardly to some convenient point of attachment to the side of the dredge body.

The holding means for the brace,as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a plate 15 pivoted at 16 to the body 11. A pair of relatively fixed and movable jaws 17 and 18 are carried by the plate 15 adj acent its lower end and preferably directly opposite the end of the pivot 16. The brace 12 may be of any suitable form in cross section, and the active faces or edges of the jaws are shaped to receive and bind upon the brace 12 so as to hold it firmly in position when the spud is once adjusted for any special operation.

The movablejaw 18 has pivotally connected to it a pair of links 19 constituting parts of toggle devices including other links 20 and power links 21. The links 19 are pivoted at 22 to the movable jaw 18 and at 23 to the free ends of the links 20 whose other ends are pivoted at fixed points 2 near the upper portion of the. plate 13. The power links 21 are connected at their outer ends to the pivots 23 and to each other at the point 25 where a power piston rod 26 is connected leading from a steam or other motor 27. The links 21 constitute a toggle, and when forced downwardly or straightened by the operation of the piston rod 26, the toggles constituted by the links 19 and 20 are likewise straightened and the jaw 19 is caused to bind and hold upon the brace 12. Motive fluid, such as steam or air, may be conveyed to the power cylinder 27 through a pipe 28 from any suitable source.

For delicacy of adjustment to compensate for wear of-the joints of the power devices, or, furthermore, to accommodate the bracing means to various diameters, the otherwise relatively fixed jaw 17 may be adjusted so as to make it of greater or less effective thickness. The means shown for this purpose comprises a block 29 rabbeted and toothed at 30 to receive and support the jaw 17. The block 29 is provided with a pair of vertical slots 31 in which are located a pair of bolts 32 which extend outwardly therefrom through slots 33 formed longitudinally in the fixed jaw 17, the axes of the slots 31 and 33 being at right angles to each other.

The movable jaw 18 carries a series of lugs or tongues 34 extending into parallel slots 35 formed in the plate 15. The slots 35 extend parallel to the direction of movement of the movable jaw 18, and with the tongues 34 confine the movable jaw to its intended movements, preventing lateral displacement due to strain upon the brace.

I claim 1. The combination with a dipper dredge and a spud connected therewith, of means connected adjacent the lower end of the spud and extending thence upwardly and rearwardly to brace the same, and means temporarily holding the upper end of said bracing means, substantially as set forth.

7 2. The combination with a dredge body and a spud extending vertically through the front end thereof, of a bracing member piv- Copies 0! this patent may be obtained for five cents each, addressing the f'commissioner 0112mm.

otally connected to the spud adjacent it lower end and extending thence upwardly and rearwardly alongside of the dredge body, and a pair of relatively fixed and movable jaws holding said brace at the side of the dredge body.

3. The combination with a dredge body and a spud extending downwardly therethrough, of bracing means connected at one end adjacent the lower end of thespud, a plate pivoted upon the side of the dredge body, and gripping means carried by the plate, the upper end of the bracing means cooperating with said gripping means, sub stantially as set forth.

4. In a device of the character set forth, the combination with a dredge body and a spud extending downwardly therethrough, of a bracing means for the spud connected at one end to the spud and extending thence upwardly and rearwardly along the dredge body, a plate pivotally mounted on the dredge bodyfor movementaround an axis perpendicular-to said brace, and gripping means carried by the plate and cooperating with the otherwise free end of the brace. substantially as set forth.

ALBERT BASIL OLARDY lVitnesses:

" F. Gr. SwANsoN,

A. C. LowANDE.

Washington, D. 0.! 

